Neil McLeman reflects on a bittersweet night for the misfiring Spaniard

It is always the pantomime season at Stamford Bridge. But Wednesday night was a special performance.

Panto villain Rafa Benitez was again booed onto the pitch before three first-half penalties for handball were awarded by a comic turn of a Dutch ref.

And then principal boy Fernando Torres proved he is not just a great defender by scoring his second goal in 963 minutes on the stroke of half-time.

The goalscoring machine added another after the break and might have had half a dozen. It was rare entertainment.

Watching the Danish champions arrive at ­Stamford Bridge was a more welcome sight for Torres than seeing Didier Drogba back in training at Cobham yesterday.

Thankfully for the £50million striker, the Ivory Coast star is only back to prepare for the African Nations Cup next month.

Under fire: How would Fernando Torres react to mounting criticism of him? (Photo: Getty)

And Nordsjaelland laid on the kind of training ground ­conditions where Benitez insists his former Liverpool striker is still a killer.

To be fair to Torres, he does not hide. He was at the centre of the action in the opening exchanges, had a goal disallowed for offside and brought a save from Jesper Hansen in the first 10 minutes.

And his long wait to get back on the scoresheet ended in first-half injury time, aided by the little bit of luck he desperately needed.

Latching onto a Victor Moses through pass, his first shot was saved by the keeper but the rebound fell for the ­Spaniard to tap home. And the 28-year-old made a decisive run into the six-yard box to steer home Eden Hazard’s cross after 56 minutes.

Maybe Benitez, employed after Roberto Di Matteo was sacked for dropping Roman Abramovich’s most expensive players, is already starting to work his magic with his fellow ­countryman.

Benitez has quickly worked out Juan Mata, Hazard and Oscar are too similar to play behind the lone forward.

And Benitez is keen to build up Torres’ confidence – even if his comments about his defensive ability and training sharpness left him open to ridicule.

BBC commentator Graeme Le Saux observed: “He now plays with his back to goal and that does not suit him. Benitez has to find a system and a style of approach play that suits Torres if they are going to rely on him for goals.”